Comments on: Random Acts of Deceleration (Bill Farren Guest-Post 3) http://beyond-school.org/2008/03/10/random-acts-of-deceleration-bill-farren-guest-post-3/ Really. "Schooliness" retards growth. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:19:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Liv http://beyond-school.org/2008/03/10/random-acts-of-deceleration-bill-farren-guest-post-3/#comment-2544 Liv Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:10:02 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/2008/03/10/random-acts-of-deceleration-bill-farren-guest-post-3/#comment-2544 I've also been thinking a lot about this issue of stressed students. I find that when students are doing things they don't find meaningful that causes more stress. However, if they're working on a project they like they'll stay up all hours of the night and while it's exhausting, it's not frustrating and causing them to burn out. There is definitely a connection between making something meaningful and learning, and sometimes the most meaningful things are not the ones that are done on monumental scales or hurriedly. I’ve also been thinking a lot about this issue of stressed students. I find that when students are doing things they don’t find meaningful that causes more stress. However, if they’re working on a project they like they’ll stay up all hours of the night and while it’s exhausting, it’s not frustrating and causing them to burn out. There is definitely a connection between making something meaningful and learning, and sometimes the most meaningful things are not the ones that are done on monumental scales or hurriedly.

]]> By: Clay Burell http://beyond-school.org/2008/03/10/random-acts-of-deceleration-bill-farren-guest-post-3/#comment-2536 Clay Burell Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:05:21 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/2008/03/10/random-acts-of-deceleration-bill-farren-guest-post-3/#comment-2536 Danielle, I can only offer my own college history to counter your generalization: My first year of college was 1981. I wasn't sure of my path, so I stopped. I went back two or three years later, sure only that I suddenly loved learning the humanities - and stopped again, because the college courses were going too fast for my taste. In other words, I dropped out to read and learn more slowly, and more deeply, than the college treadmill allowed. (One semester I took off to read the complete work of Plato; years later, I took a semester off to read the complete works of Nietzsche.) People always said, "Don't stop college. You'll never go back." They were wrong. I also wasn't competing with anybody. I was loving the learning. I graduated Magna cum Laude without ever noticing (or caring, really). Intrinsic pleasure, not extrinsic, lead to my academic success. I'm an exception, I'm sure. And my life didn't follow the normal mold of high school - college - job and marriage. And I thank my lucky stars for that. I took a left turn from the road more traveled and haven't turned back yet. I guess it all depends on what our idea of the good life is. Danielle, I can only offer my own college history to counter your generalization:

My first year of college was 1981. I wasn’t sure of my path, so I stopped. I went back two or three years later, sure only that I suddenly loved learning the humanities - and stopped again, because the college courses were going too fast for my taste.

In other words, I dropped out to read and learn more slowly, and more deeply, than the college treadmill allowed. (One semester I took off to read the complete work of Plato; years later, I took a semester off to read the complete works of Nietzsche.)

People always said, “Don’t stop college. You’ll never go back.” They were wrong.

I also wasn’t competing with anybody. I was loving the learning. I graduated Magna cum Laude without ever noticing (or caring, really). Intrinsic pleasure, not extrinsic, lead to my academic success.

I’m an exception, I’m sure. And my life didn’t follow the normal mold of high school - college - job and marriage.

And I thank my lucky stars for that. I took a left turn from the road more traveled and haven’t turned back yet.

I guess it all depends on what our idea of the good life is.

]]> By: Danielle http://beyond-school.org/2008/03/10/random-acts-of-deceleration-bill-farren-guest-post-3/#comment-2535 Danielle Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:29:42 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/2008/03/10/random-acts-of-deceleration-bill-farren-guest-post-3/#comment-2535 I agree that faster, harder and more is not in many occasions the key to a happy life, still slowing down is something that most students can't really afford. If for example they take a year off to travel and then return and start study that's fine but if they are not sure of their path, they'll just stop. High school can ease the burden of the homework but if this is taken too far the pupils won't be able to compete in college. I agree that faster, harder and more is not in many occasions the key to a happy life, still slowing down is something that most students can’t really afford. If for example they take a year off to travel and then return and start study that’s fine but if they are not sure of their path, they’ll just stop.
High school can ease the burden of the homework but if this is taken too far the pupils won’t be able to compete in college.

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